1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cotton harvesters, and, more specifically, to a finger assembly for a finger type cotton stripper.
2) Related Art:
With advances in weed control, an increased number of cotton growers are switching from parallel row cotton to broadcast cotton. Presently, broadcast cotton is harvested using a finger-head attachment on a self-propelled cotton stripper. A typical finger-head attachment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,921 assigned to Allis-Chalmers.
Cotton plant size variations require that the spacing between fingers be adjustable to provide a gap that matches the cotton stalks. If the gap is too wide, cotton stripping efficiency is reduced. A gap that is too narrow for the stalk causes stalk barking and deterioration in the cotton grade, and cotton stalks can be pulled from the ground. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,921 patent shows V-shaped finger attachments that are bolted to the fingers to adjust the gap. Another type of V-shaped finger attachment is shown in co-pending and commonly assigned application Ser. No. 09/153,388 filed Sep. 15, 1998 and entitled"Single Bolt Stripping Finger Insert". Such V-shaped or angle type fingers and attachments provide gap adjustability but tend to cause barking of the cotton plant and deterioration of the cotton grade. To adjust the gaps, numerous bolts have to be removed and reattached to add or change a large number of inserts. Adjusting the gaps for differing crop conditions is therefore very time consuming and inconvenient.
Maintaining a steady flow of stripped cotton over the finger assemblies and upward at the aft end of the assemblies for delivery to the cross auger is necessary. The steel stripping finger can rust, and rusted fingers resist cotton feeding thereby increasing blockage problems. The steel fingers also get gummed with layers of cotton plant sap which reduces stripping efficiency and causes further blockage problems. Various plastic coated inserts have been provided to reduce barking, but such inserts typically consist of plastic-coated metal members which are expensive to manufacture and which do not accommodate different plant conditions. Changing conditions may require different sized inserts, and a time-consuming insert changing operation still has to be performed. Providing a low-cost stripper finger assembly that has good continuous cotton flow characteristics and delivery characteristics with reduced plant damage in differing crop conditions has been a continuing source of difficulty.